Cats and Dogs
by Kaldrake
Summary: Edward is injured, again. Only this time he lands himself in Roy's home for a week during recovery. With antagonistic tendencies, nightmares of war, and feline sadists, how will they survive? Post-Ep.51. No Slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Media: **Anime

**Timeline: **Three years after Episode 51 (_'Laws and Promises')_, Largely follows canon, however the ending has been manipulated to fit my own ends.

**Rating: **MA, to be on the safe side for future chapters.

**Characters: **Edward, Roy

**Warnings: **This may or may not eventually contain slash. Warnings and ratings will change once a decision has been reached.

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><p>Dread filled the pit of General Roy Mustang's gut at seeing Hawkeye's grim face first thing in the morning. The strong woman normally looked stoic and well poised, but never grim, unless something had happened. She did not say a word as she saluted, picking up a file and handing it over. Forehead creased, he stared at it for a moment, unwilling to open it quite yet. Hawkeye had different ideas, however.<p>

"Edward Elric is in the hospital, again, Sir."

Covering his face with his palm, he let himself drop into the seat behind his desk. Of course Ed was always in the hospital after missions. It would not normally be worth mentioning, unless something beyond the norm had happened.

"How bad?"

"Bad, Sir."

Cursing violently, he got back to his feet, letting the file flutter from his grip as he dashed out of the room. 'Bad' meant just that. He could not have his best alchemist possibly laying dead or dying in the hospital! Possibilities raced through his mind as he sprinted the short difference between the military headquarters and the medical ward. Upon seeing him, the receptionist did not say a word, merely pointing him towards Ed's normal room. The eighteen year old was in here often enough to warrant it.

Stepping through the door, he was not quite prepared for the sight that met his eyes. Gold locks tangled messily around his shoulders, loose for once. Blood and dirt stained it, making some strange desire stir to wash it clean. The blankets on the bed were pulled aside, allowing the doctor to work on tightly binding Full Metal's flesh leg. Such also allowed a clear view of several bruises, and smaller gauze patches stained with blood. The most shocking being, the automail was absent. Roy halted in his tracks as he took in the scarring, and exposed wires visible from where the limbs had been broken off.

It was strange. Through out the years, Roy had seen Ed without his arm at least. However, the full reality had never been laid quite so bare for him to see. He looked even smaller, and vulnerable without his arm and leg. The expression on his face was one of pained resignation, as the doctor finished with the bandaging. Observing the wrap, Roy felt the dread crash around him. Full Metal had a broken flesh leg, and his prosthetic had obviously been destroyed.

Both room occupants finally took notice of Roy, the doctor giving a nod of acknowledgment. Ed frowned in annoyance, reaching down to pull the covers over his body. The younger man was strangely subdued. Usually something like this would not get him down, or at least he would put up a brave front to stave off attention from his friends. For a moment, Roy regretted not reading the file before he had rushed headlong into this situation.

"General Mustang, pleasure to see you."

Roy acknowledged the doctor with a nod. Ed was remaining strangely silent to his presence. Glancing between them, the doctor took his leave. At a bit of a loss, Roy approached the bed, falling into habit where Ed was concerned.

"What do you have to report?"

The blonde glanced away with a scowl. "I already gave my report to Hawkeye."

"I am not asking Hawkeye. I am asking you. What happened, Ed?"

For a long moment, he thought the younger man was going to refuse to speak. Until, "Meestora was an ambush."

Roy sucked in a quick breath, unease coiling in his gut. A trap? But how, who? He had only sent Full Metal to investigate strange reports from the officer in charge out there. Nothing had seemed amiss about the assignment, or the information he had received regarding the situation. The blonde finally glanced at him, looking grim.

"Chimaera ambushed me on the road after my investigation. They knew to take out my arm and leg first. I managed to take most of them out, before they ripped off my automail. A military patrol heard the fight, and came to my rescue. I would be dead if they hadn't."

His flesh hand gripped the blankets in a stranglehold, and Roy could detect a minute shake to his frame. Suppressing a sigh, he stepped over and sat on the vacated chair. He knew that Ed loathed the reminders of his own mortality. Despite all the years, Mustang could still recall his reaction to his near-death encounter with Barry the Butcher when he was twelve. It never got easy. For that, he was glad. Edward Elric had lived through far more in his eighteen years, than most grown adults did in a lifetime of service to the military. Roy would be more concerned if Ed had no reaction.

"Is Winry available to come to Central to replace them?"

Ed nodded, looking thankful for the misdirect in topic. "She said she can make it, but she won't be out here until next week. She has a backlog of orders before she can drop it all to come fix me up."

Sighing quietly, Roy rubbed a hand over his eyes. His best alchemist was out of commission until next week. Joy of joys. He would have to pass off Full Metal's assignments until then. In good conscience, he would give Edward at least a month of recovery before shipping him out again. That is, if Hawkeye didn't threaten to shoot him for it. Roy knew more than anyone that Ed loathed being cooped up and idle, the General taking the brunt of the displeasure on the few occasions it had happened in the past.

Glancing the younger man over, Roy frowned. "Is Al at least coming out to help you until you have both arms working?"

Ed winced, glancing away again. The general had touched upon a harsh topic for Edward. Three years ago, they had succeeded in getting Alphonse Elric's body back, at the cost of a large chunk of his memories. With the loss of the Philosopher's Stone, there had been no means of returning Ed's automail to flesh. The now seventeen year old Alphonse had taken news of Ed's antics harshly. To Roy's knowledge, they were on speaking terms, but the relationship between the brothers was strained at best.

Full Metal never talked about it, but through some digging, and covert talks with Winry, Mustang knew that a large part of the displeasure was aimed at Ed's continued employment with the military, as an alchemist. Alphonse had blamed the alchemy, more than Edward's actions, for their past and present disfigurement. On the topic of disfigured state alchemists, Roy heaved an annoyed sigh. Either Ed would have to stay in the hospital for the next week or two; or someone was going to have to take him home with them.

Hawkeye was out of the question, though no doubt her firm hand would keep him out of trouble. He wanted Ed better, not riddled with bullet holes for being his normal, restless, self. Armstrong was too soft, and would let the pipsqueak do as he pleased if Ed shed a couple crocodile tears. Likewise for Fuery and Havoc. Gracia Hughes would be happy to help Edward; she and Maes had practically adopted the two Elrics after they helped deliver their daughter into the world. But Roy knew that she more than had her hands full caring for her six year old bundle of disaster.

Weighing the pros and cons carefully, Roy reached a decision. "You'll be staying with me until you get your automail repaired."

Ed's look of incredulity was almost worth it; but the deciding factor of his decision was the thought of taking a week off from Hawkeye's stalwart insistence that he do paperwork instead of catch up on missed sleep.

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><p>Stepping through the doorway, he was hit with a sudden panic, wondering if he had left anything incriminating laying around for Ed to see and exploit. Wheeling the younger man inside, he glanced around furtively. Nothing seemed out of place in the flat. His pornography was safely hidden away in his personal room, his gun collection was locked in the safe, and any suspect books on Alchemy were in the library up stairs. He was thankful at Ed's inability to actually wander freely about the place. Some of the illicit books and videos were embarrassing.<p>

Pushing the man into the living room, Roy's eyes narrowed as he noticed that something _was _out of place after all. A potted plant on the coffee table was upturned, dirt littering the surface, and leaves crushed. His lips pursed with displeasure. Something furry slunk from the shadows under the table, glowing eyes gazing at the two men unwaveringly. Ed looked puzzled as he stared the creature down. The General sighed, walking over to assess the damage and likewise glared at the culprit.

The cat swished its tail languidly, gazing up at Roy with big, watery eyes, unblinking. He was not buying the act one bit, as the dirt on its paws, and the overturned plant spoke volumes. Roy shooed the cat away with a scowl, grumbling under his breath as he carefully wiped up the spilled dirt. The Full Metal Alchemist stared at him strangely for a long moment, as if he had grown a second head. Ignoring it, he focused on cleaning up. No doubt Ed would have some snide comment, or complaint to share. However, he was pleasantly surprised once the young man finally got his thoughts in order.

"Wait, I thought you were nuts for dogs. Why do you have a _cat_?"

Roy stared straight ahead, expression carefully blank as Ed blinked at the orange tabby cat. The other man had a strange look, as if trying to dredge up some distant memory. Reaching out to neaten the plant, Roy commented idly.

"Dogs are fiercely loyal to their master. Eager to please, and craving attention and praise. Only stray dogs ignore commands, and those that refuse, are abandoned, or put down. Man's best friend never strays when they can help it, nor will they act for themselves, save when their master is in danger... But cats..." Roy shook his head, smiling faintly to take any sting from his previous words.

"Cats are independent. They follow their own rules, and only obey their master when it suits them. When they are displeased, they let everyone know, and when they want attention, they get it at all costs. Unlike dogs, a cat does not follow commands, and they wander as they please. But yet, if they grow to trust their master, they always come back when they are able. It is a great challenge to earn a cat's trust, but the rewards far outweigh the trouble, with time."

Ed frowned slightly, petting the feline when it glanced up and meowed at him. He knew Mustang was talking about more than just animals. Shrugging, he glanced over.

"Without cats, dogs would be mighty bored, too. When they're all alone with nothing to do, who would they chase to pass the time?"

The General smirked, returning Edward's look. "Who indeed."

Cleaning up the mess from the plant, Roy frowned, pondering on the state of Ed's appearance. There had been no time for a nurse to bathe him before they left. The general had preferred to leave as soon as Edward agreed, to avoid having to explain himself to Hawkeye. She would get the memo about his leave of absence. The blood and dirt still stained Ed's hair; it was beginning to bug the both of them.

"You need a bath. You're not sleeping in my bed like that."

"Who said I'm sleeping in your bed? I can just take the couch."

Heaving a sigh, Roy stared Ed down, "You're taking the bed, because I'd be skinned alive if anyone found out I made you sleep on the couch with a broken leg."

Ed blushed faintly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh... right." He dropped the act after a moment, staring at his lap anxiously. "How do I go about that?"

It was Roy's turn to blush, though he hid it with a well timed smirk, as Edward glanced back up, a light of realization dawning across his face. He fidgeted in his chair, scratching at his scalp, and avoided looking Roy in the eye. Not that the General could blame him. Things were about to become mighty awkward between them. Thankfully, Roy had faced more terrifying prospects than getting Edward Elric to let himself get bathed by his hated superior.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: **I have decided to refrain from making this story Slash. Rewatching the anime, I figure that they would be more likely to strangle each other with the sheets rather than engage in immoral behavior, if presented with a bed.

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><p>Whiskers poised in puzzlement, the orange tabby known simply as 'Stupid Cat', stared with morbid fascination from a safe perch on the windowsill. 'Safe' being relative. Ear flattening, the tabby hissed in displeasure as water droplets reached even this sacred place of height. Fur puffing out, the cat hunched down, tail swishing with calculated poise, awaiting the perfect moment to strike...<p>

Between the water dripping from his hair, and the blush staining his face, Roy paid the cat no mind as he struggled to keep Ed from escaping the water. The runt was quick for being one limb shy a worm. The heated argument had begun from the start, Edward protesting the baby treatment the moment he realized that Roy was unwilling to leave him alone. Throwing a tantrum had only resulted in a bruised flesh arm, and hurt pride. Despite his cocky self-assurance, it was quite obvious at the time that Ed would be unable to see to himself in the bath.

Now, Roy was certain the little rat had been faking infirmity as some malicious ploy to exploit Roy's fear of Hawkeye's wrath. Havoc had phoned him just before the real test of wills began. The poor guy had sounded close to tears, and the General was sure he had been held at gunpoint as he shot off a list of Riza's demands. That she was taking his subordinates hostage, rather than kicking in his door, meant that she meant business. If Edward Elric suffered any new injuries while under General Roy Mustang's care, he would be shot on sight.

Wiping sweat away with the water droplets, he shivered as he imagined that he would not even hear the shot before he was dead. His most trusted frightened the daylights out of him. Shoving Edward back into the tub -again- Roy hunched his shoulders, regretting that he did not have a lighter on hand. He really was useless when water was involved, or he would have had Edward trapped by a wall of flame by now.

A loud yelp escaped him as claws suddenly dug into his back, toppling him forward. He barely caught himself before he could fall on Ed's leg, sloshing even more water around, and causing the stupid cat to yowl in terror. The flesh-rending daggers dug in even more, making him wince, before the weight suddenly left. The damn thing had escaped through the door, all without touching the waterlogged rug. The display made Ed pause mid escape attempt.

"AHAHAHA! The _great _General Roy Mustang, blindsided by a cat! HAHA!"

He pointed and cackled. Roy's fingers twitched with the urge to strangle him. Righting himself beside the tub, he lowered his head in silent thought, absently smacking Ed's hand away from the rim. Very slowly, a smirk crept across his lips. Glancing up, Ed caught sight of his expression and froze. A staring contest ensued. Very slowly, Roy leaned back with a quiet chuckle, playing his trump card.

"You know, you're right, Edward. It is rather untoward for a commanding officer to be engaging in such theatrics with a subordinate... Hmm... You know, I do seem to recall Sig Curtis mentioning a wish to eventually return to Central. What better excuse than to see after the health of his wife's ailing student?"

Ed's face fell, and he slumped listlessly back into the water. Looking smug, Roy handed him a wash cloth. The cloth was snatched rather viciously from his hand, but he considered it a victory. Edward sulked, awkwardly fiddling with the object.

"That's awfully personal of you, Mustang."

Smiling widely, he allowed himself to relax onto his knees, folding his arms over his chest. "Well, we are the best of friends, Elric."

A rude noise from the younger man indicated his opinion on _that _topic. Watching him sternly to ensure no deception was apparent, Full Metal seemed displeased, but willing, to wash away the grime of the road. The sulking expression made him look like a kid again... Not that his height did not simply enhance the illusion. Orange eyes glared at him from beneath his fringe of hair, as if sensing the thought.

Sullen silence filled the bathroom for several moments, only the splashing of water indicating that Ed was resigned to his fate. Roy at last felt safe enough to turn his back, as Edward flushed bright red under his stare. He liked to torment Edward, but what use was humiliating him when there was no one else around to witness it. Personal enjoyment refused to cover this sort of thing. And really, no one was going to ever accuse him being being a pedo if Ed complained about this to Hawkeye later.

Tensing, Roy suddenly noted the distinct lack of sound coming from behind him. Turning abruptly, he sputtered upon receiving a wet cloth to the face. Ed smirked, reclining in triumphant relaxation at a job well done. There was only one problem.

"You didn't wash your hair."

The other man glared sharply. "I can't exactly juggle soap, while keeping my head above water, and lathering!"

Covering his face with his palm, the General let out a ragged sigh. Resignation was obvious in his frame as he peeled off his already soaked gloves. They were useless anyway. Picking up the bottle of shampoo, he squirted a large amount into his hand, eying Ed's ragged mane as if it were some new monster to battle. In all reality... Some of the entangled sludge looked like it was moving... Could chimaera be transmuted from mud? The train of thought side-tracked him for all of a second before Ed once again registered.

Blinking at his expression of horror, Roy raised an eyebrow. "You're not leaving this tub without picking the bugs out of your hair. Who knows what crawled into it between Meestora and the hospital."

"I don't have bugs!"

Ed's outraged expression was only ruined by a sudden twitch. He pouted, hugging his arm close around his midsection. Another twitch. Roy heaved a sigh.

"You could have lice for all I know."

Twitch. Fidget. Twitch. Letting out an aggravated growl, Edward finally gave into scratching at his scalp, leveling a fierce glare when it prompted another smirk. "This does not mean that I have bugs! I bet it's your girly soap! If it gives me a rash from all the flowery crap, I'm telling Hawkeye!"

The threat did nothing to dampen the Flame alchemists thorough enjoyment of his discomfort. Shifting around to sit behind Ed, he did not allow for much more protest before he was running his fingers through the veritable lion's mane. It was not that Edward's hair was so thick, just that it was so tangled with debris and clotted blood. By now the bath water was stained pink from the coat Ed had washed off. Really, he had to wonder if he hadn't rolled in the stuff. Then again, from personal experience, one often could not chose whether or not they got bled on by a chimaera.

His movements were surprisingly gentle as he worked out the tangles, lathering the strands thoroughly as he worked his way through it all. Ed had grown silent, almost unnaturally so. It prompted Roy to lean over his shoulder slightly to peer at his face. While still flush from embarrassment and displeasure, his eyes were closed, and he had relaxed. He would have thought him to be asleep were it not for his breathing patterns. It was almost as if he enjoyed having his hair washed. The thought made Roy uncomfortable, prompting him to speed up the process a bit.

He was Edward's superior, not his stylist. While he appreciated that Elric deserved some rest and relaxation, Roy did not approve over it resulting from hands-on care. Racking his mind, he resolved to call in some favors to female 'friends'. Either they would coddle Edward as he so obviously craved, or they would delight in bagging themselves _the _Full Metal alchemist. Whatever floated Ed's boat, so long as Roy didn't have to deal with it.

With some relief, he reached for a long abandoned ladle on the floor. It had been disrupted from its place on the sink by Edwards caterwauling. Standing, he dropped it carelessly into Ed's lap, startling him at the suddenness of the change. He boggled at the cup, before staring at Roy in confusion.

"Rinse, and then we're done."

The fire returned to Ed's eyes after a moment of quiet contemplation. Quirking an eyebrow at Roy, the General dreaded his next words.

"Ain'cha going to dry me off once I'm out?"

Unable to repress a scowl, Roy turned and stalked out of the room, ignoring Ed's taunts. Once safely out of sight, he allowed a smile to escape. He hoped that Edward Elric never changed. It was his continued childish actions that told the world, that he was alright despite all the hardships he had endured.

A fuzzy body brushed against his leg, pulling him from his thoughts. The cat stared up, mewling quietly and purring at him. The ache from its claws served as a reminder of its disloyalty. The purring increased in volume, the feline butting against his shins more insistently, begging for forgiveness. Wavering, Roy finally caved, kneeling down to scratch behind its ears.

"... Stupid cat."


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: **In case anyone is confused, I know I never specified which anime I'm stemming this from for sure. I'm blending information from both the Brotherhood series, and the original, depending on which additions/subtractions I liked between the two. I personally have never read the manga (planning on changing that soon), so forgive ignorance on that front; though I understand that Brotherhood follows the manga line.

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><p>As it turned out, yes, Roy had the unfortunate requirement of drying Ed off after the bath. The pipsqueak had put up a loud fuss at the thought of sleeping on a damp mattress all week. He grudgingly had to concede. Wasting money on having to replace it due to mildew growth was not high on his priority list. Add to that, some water had seeped into the plaster on Ed's leg. The doctor had assured them that it was fine, but he was paranoid with the looming threat from command headquarters.<p>

After mopping up the mess in the bathroom, he could at last simply kick back with a cold beer, and relax. Edward seemed content with one of the more advanced tomes on Alchemy that Roy would allow him to see. Peeking at the young man periodically, a secretive smile graced his lips. Full Metal caused surprise in a lot of people who knew his normal rambunctious habits, when they witnessed him so focused and still in such instances.

Seven years ago, when Roy had tracked the Elric brothers back to their home in Risembool, he could hardly believe his eyes when he witnessed the aftermath of human transformation. He had suspected Hoenheim was behind it, until Pinako explained about their mother's death, and introduced him to them. Back then, Ed had been bound in a wheelchair, looking defeated, and empty in the wake of his failure. He had lost his arm, and his leg, on top of tying his brother's spirit to a suit of armor. Roy had seen the potential even then, saying harsh words to the boy in the near desperate attempt to spark a fire within his soul. It had worked.

A year later, when Edward and Alphonse showed up in Central, pride had swelled within the then Colonel's heart. The road they had walked back then was dark, and desperate. But even desperation could not urge someone to focus so raptly upon the written word, when Edward was first introduced to a State Alchemist's library. Not even Al had been so focused so quickly. Ed had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge that was only out-shadowed by that book worm who had been tasked with transcribing the lost contents of the First Branch of Central Library. Sheska was an invaluable asset. She was also quite cute from a distance, the last time he had caught glimpse of her.

Adjusting himself uncomfortably at the slip of thought, Roy shot another covert glance towards Ed. The movement had not even drawn a twitch of interest, too consumed by the contents of the book. While the man looked far more at ease than ever seen before... there was still a shadow haunting him. Sighing quietly, Roy got to his feet, slipping upstairs to the study. Again, his departure did not phase the younger alchemist.

The study was more of a library, wall to wall shelves nearly toppling under the weight of the books stacked haphazardly on them. A desk was shoved against the wall by the door, housing even more books, and his personal research journals. They had been largely neglected over the years, his military career taking president over a little dabbling. Most of the notebooks contained theories and experiments that he had not touched since before the war in Ishval. After the war... he had lost the heart to further his own alchemical power. His gloves had been the very last project he had ever completed.

Gathering the small stack of journals, he paused. A picture which had been hidden by the books was revealed. His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white, nails creating crescent shapes on his palms. Maes' beaming grin flashed up at him. The photo had been taken shortly after the first ignition cloth gloves had been created. The experiment had been a resounding failure, as evidenced by Maes' singed eyebrows, and the smoke drifting lazily from his shoulders. They had performed the first experiment on the Academy parade grounds, nearly destroying the entire thing in one go. In the distance over the man's shoulder, Roy was getting chewed out by a drill sergeant.

The memory inspired a sad smirk, even as he repressed the urge to plant his fist through the wall. Maes Hughes had been his best friend. The homunculus known as Envy had received the ultimate punishment for its crimes, but it came as a cold comfort. Drawing in a deep breath, Roy bowed his head for a moment, getting emotions back under iron control. Picking up the worn books, he turned to make his way back downstairs, silently resolving to visit Gracia and Elicia soon.

It came as little surprise, when he discovered that Ed was absent from the sitting room. He had wondered how long it would be before the younger man figured out how to move without the use of his leg. In all honesty, Roy thought Elric was getting a little rusty, for it taking _this_ long. Following the faint string of curses coming from the kitchen, he felt his blood pressure rise as he took in the sight of destruction Full Metal had visited upon the innocent room.

Flour coated almost every visible surface in a fine white powder, while stray canned goods littered the floor around one of the cupboards. The stupid cat was making the entire situation worse, by attacking scattered pieces of pasta. In Ed's defense, Roy stared at the container which used to house the pasta, and saw the claw marks around the lid. The cat took some of the blame. In the center of it all, Ed peered at him sheepishly, reaching up to dust off his hair.

"I got hungry."

Expression closing off for a moment, Roy sighed, ire fading away. He had not thought to ask if Full Metal wanted food. Of course the brat would keep even such basic needs to himself, before running off to get himself hurt or killed, leaving Roy to clean up his messes. Mentally grousing, the General leveled a hard stare at him. He was still sore over Ed's lack of trust in him, leading up to the Fuehrer King Bradley's demise. Even small slights now caused him annoyance on an unhealthy level.

"... I'll order out."

He allowed no room for protest as he marched over to the chair and proceeded to shove it out the door. The cat, tiring of its game, peered up at the humans curiously before pouncing up to sit on Ed's thigh. The man looked surprised, but pet the feline gamely. Roy suspected the damn thing just didn't want to dirty its paws in the flour anymore. He paused just over the threshold, turning to pull the door shut to discourage feline or guest from causing more chaos in the mess.

"I fully expect you to clean that up once you have full use of your limbs, Edward."

Full Metal craned his neck to boggle at Roy. "You mean you're just going to leave it like that?"

He received a shrug in response. "I don't really use it anyway."

"Hey! Then what's the big idea? Just board over the door and forget about it!"

Roy wheeled him back into the sitting room, letting his journals drop to the coffee table before turning to raise an eyebrow at him. "One thing that you have yet to grasp, Ed, is the concept of cleaning up your own messes." He raised his hand to stave off heated protest.

"I blame myself for some of it. However, consider it a valuable lesson."

The younger man stared at the feline in brooding silence for several long moments. Sensing his distress, the cat stood on hind legs, placing its paws on his shoulder to lever itself up for a good lick of the very tip of Ed's nose. The action made him snort in surprise and lean back, disrupting the cat's balance. It growled quietly, raking its claws down his shoulder, before making itself scarce. Ed winced, but shrugged off the incident after discovering that no actual harm had been done, beyond faint white lines.

The cat had at least broken the previous line of discussion, for which Roy was grateful. After a moment, he switched topics, gesturing towards the books. While he had reservations about it, he figured that if anyone could appreciate some of his work, Full Metal would. He was also throwing the kid a bone. He was well aware that some of his earlier notes were flawed to the extreme. It would give Edward something to needle him about later, but he was curious on whether or not the mistakes would even be noticed.

"You may read these for the duration of your stay."

No response was forthcoming, and after a pause, Roy finally looked back up. Ed's nose was already buried in one of them, eyes darting back and forth rapidly as he absorbed the theorems, equations, and information. A satisfied smirk graced the General's lips, knowing that Ed would have read them even if forbidden, if they were left within his reach. Turning his attention to ordering dinner, he idly wondered if the Xingese delivery girl would be working tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: **I realize that "Full Metal" is normally one word, however my auto-correct in word processing keeps giving it a space. It seems like such a small thing to go through efforts to fix via turning off auto-correct for the entire program.

**Warning: **This chapter contains mentions of suicide. I would hope that those who read/watch Full Metal Alchemist are comfortable with the implication, as the series mentions it as well.

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><p>Sweat plastered to his face, heart racing, Edward stared, stricken, at the sight before him. Grotesque bodies writhed and twitched before his eyes, groaning or screaming in agony. All eyes were on Ed, accusing, sightless. One man had a hole in his chest, a small child-like beast mouthing silently while attempting to locate her severed limbs, flopping uselessly with only one leg. Overlayed with the image of the child-beast, an unseeing, motionless, puppet of what it once was. It hurt too much to bear, but he could not bring himself to look away.<p>

Another child, blond, wild long hair, lay in a pool of his own blood, glaring at Ed with venom. It made him flinch back, tripping and landing on something. Terror gripped him as it shuddered, blood oozing beneath his hands as he scrambled to get away, but a voice froze him in his tracks.

"Ed... Edward... What did you do? … What did you _do_?"

The voice was heartbroken, choked with blood. Unable to keep his eyes away, he glanced down, into the eyes of his deepest regret. Organs twitched and contorted outside her body, blood flowing from every orifice and pore. Her neck was disfigured, bones contorted unnaturally. A look of utter terror, pain, and betrayal marred her face. Ed whimpered, not resisting the hate-filled hands that gripped him from behind, the horrors tearing, ripping, and beating every part of him they could find. Agony erupted in his arms and legs, as they were all ripped from his torso, the automail absent.

He could do no more than whine quietly in the back of his throat, and let them have their revenge, gaze locked unwaveringly on his mother's disappointed and hateful stare. He deserved this. Why did he do it? Why did he kill so many people? He should have died after Al got his body back. He never should have been allowed to keep spreading the destruction. He hurt or killed almost everyone he met. Even bubbly, sly, Maes had not been immune. When would he kill the others? It was only a matter of time... Despair squeezed him in its vice-like grip, choking, suffocating...

Someone was shaking him. Blinking open bloodshot eyes, amber stared into concerned black. It had been a dream. His frame shivered in the aftermath. Rapidly blinking, he bit back tears as some of his wits returned. He would not cry in front of General Roy Mustang. He would not let anyone else see him cry. Glancing away, he missed the comforting warmth of the hand gripping his flesh shoulder once it was retracted.

Roy stood back, staring at Ed with an inscrutable expression. Ed knew he looked bad, even without seeing himself in a mirror. It was a normal enough occurrence that Al had commented on it a time or two, before he got his body back. Sweat beaded across his skin, making him shiver more, and despite efforts, his eyes were still wide from the panic of the night terror. Blankets coiled around his arm and chest, almost strangling. He knew he must look mighty pathetic. He dropped his gaze, pretending to concentrate on untangling the cloth, but his hand was shaking too much.

He startled slightly as hands entered his vision, aiding him. Roy still had not said a word. It was beginning to unnerve Ed. Finally peeking up at his commander through the fringe of his hair, he tried to speak. All that came was a hoarse whisper. This surprised him. Normally he did not actually scream or cry out from his nightmares. By the raw feeling of his throat, it was no wonder Roy had woken him. He must have awoken him all the way downstairs.

Once the sheets were sorted out, Roy blinked at him before turning to disappear out the door. Ed couldn't draw up the willpower to be cross about it, the sleep fog refusing to lift. A few moments later, the General returned with a glass of water, further surprising the younger alchemist. Roy had never gone out of his way to help Ed with simple tasks, unless it was covered under Hawkeye's demands. None the less, Edward eagerly gulped the water when it was handed over. Roy finally moved to recline at the foot of the bed.

"Must have been some dream."

Ed grunted, leaning over to set the half empty glass on the night stand. The shakes were slowly diminishing, but the exhaustion would not budge. Sparing a glance at the window, it was still pitch dark out. Only a few hours had passed since they had called it a night. After several moments, Ed tired of the silence.

"Sorry. I normally don't make noise."

The words prompted Roy to scoff. "Never be sorry about stuff like that. And you weren't loud. I just had to use the bathroom and checked in on you."

Full Metal figured that Roy could appreciate bad dreams, so he simply shrugged, nodding in agreement. The notion of the bastard peeking in on him while he was asleep was mildly unnerving, but under the circumstances, he thought he could forgive him. In a way... it made Ed miss Al all the more. It had usually been his 'little' brother who woke him up from the dreams. That was long behind them, though. Edward was actually relieved when Alphonse cut ties with him after... It made him less likely to get killed again because of Ed.

Roy peered at him contemplatively, as if sensing the thought. "Why is it that Al wouldn't take you in?" Ed couldn't suppress a wince, glancing away. General Bastard always seemed to have a knack for asking the hardest questions first.

"None of your business."

"Oh, but it is my business, if my top alchemist is too depressed to fight off some simple chimaera."

The look of surprise passed Ed's face before he could cover it up. How had Roy known? Putting on an indifferent front, Edward shrugged, going to cross his arms over his chest before belatedly recalling he lacked one arm. The Flame alchemist looked knowing, and the urge welled up to punch the smugness from his face. Instead, he settled for shaking his head.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I told you, they ambushed me."

"You've been ambushed before, Ed. I know you're not going soft, so that leaves: You knew that they were following you, and you let them get the upper hand. Really, if you wanted to get yourself killed, why be cowardice about it?"

Irritation welled up in Ed, prompting him to glare at Roy. The words rang true, but he refused to acknowledge them. He made to speak, but the General cut him off, gesturing sharply, though his expression remained the same.

"If you want to kill yourself, a gun, or tall building, is far more reliable. But I doubt your conscience allows it. Am I right?"

"What would you know about it?"

Heat rose in Eds face as he glanced away, ashamed of his own outburst. A conversation from years ago rose unbidden in his mind. They had been forced to clean and repair the parade grounds without the use of alchemy, after their battle with each other. Roy had confided in him, a little, regarding the horrors he had witnessed during the war in Ishval. Maes had refused to tell Ed anything, when he asked the man about it later, but the implication had laced some of his words. Risking a peek at Mustang, the man's features were inscrutable.

"I know enough to tell that if you really wanted to end it all, you would have already. Don't be so melodramatic, kid. Alphonse is still alive. Instead of wallowing in self pity, you should be trying to repair ties with him. You two used to be inseparable. Despite the memory loss, I doubt Al has forgotten the important stuff."

Ed's shoulders slumped in mild defeat. His voice was quiet as he muttered, "He's the one who told me to leave."

"Because he didn't want to see you get killed in the line of duty. Good job with that."

The last words were laced with sarcasm. Finally, Roy got to his feet, tossing an unnoticed book to Ed's lap. "Either get some sleep, or be useful."

Staring blankly at the book, Ed paid Roy's departure no mind. It was one of the research journals he hadn't gotten to. He sighed heavily, reaching over to turn on the bed side lamp. As much as the words had stung, and his thoughts raced, the General at least got something right. Ed wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, so he should at least read. There was obviously something that Roy wanted him to discover with the journals.


End file.
